Please note that the pilot period of the Film Production Grant Scheme under the Film Development Fund has been completed on 28 February 2018. Applicants can still apply for the Film Financing Scheme based on needs and eligibility. For further details of the application procedures, please refer to the relevant webpage (http://www.fdc.gov.hk/en/services/services2.htm).

Overview

The Film Development Fund (FDF) was first set up by the Government in 1999 to support projects conducive to the long-term development of the film industry in Hong Kong.

In July 2007, the Government injected $300 million into the FDF, and expanded its scope to partly finance small-to-medium budget film productions. In May 2015, the Government further injected HK$200 million into the FDF and introduced a new scheme under it to subsidise low-budget film productions. The pilot period of the Film Production Grant Scheme has been completed on 28 February 2018.

In June 2016, the Government injected an additional funding of $20 million into the FDF to subsidise the expenses incurred by locally-produced Cantonese films for distribution and publicity conducted in the Mainland.

The FDF is administered by the Secretariat of the Hong Kong Film Development Council (HKFDC).

Objectives

The FDF aims to fund projects and activities which contribute towards the development of the Hong Kong film industry, including:

part-financing small-to-medium budget film productions;

enhancing efforts to promote Hong Kong films in the Mainland and overseas;

enhancing initiatives to train talents in various aspects of film production and distribution; and

enhancing the interest and appreciation of Hong Kong films by the local audience.

Eligibility for Application

(a) Financing Film Production

The applicant must be a film production company formed and registered under the Companies Ordinance (Cap.622) or the predecessor Ordinance (as defined in section 2 of Cap.622). The applicant, film producer, film director or any combination of them must have produced a total of at least two released films immediately preceding the date of application.

The film project:

must be a feature drama or animation film intended for commercial theatrical exhibition in Hong Kong with a production budget of not more than HK $25 million and the length of which must be 80 minutes or above;

should be shown to be commercially viable and has secured third-party financing to the satisfaction of the Government;

must employ at least one permanent resident of Hong Kong in any three of the following categories of the main film crew and cast : (i) the film producer; (ii) the film director; (iii) the scriptwriter; (iv) the leading actor; and (v) the leading actress ; and

must be potentially capable of qualifying for a certificate for public exhibition in Hong Kong under the Film Censorship Ordinance (Cap. 392).

(b) Funding Other Film-related Projects

The applicant should normally be a locally incorporated film industry organization or a related body.

The project:

must be beneficial to the overall development of the Hong Kong film industry;

must serve the interests of the entire film industry, and not just an individual private company or a consortium of private companies; and

should mainly be non-profit making in nature.

Application

No application fee is charged. Applicants should refer to the respective Guides to Application for details on application procedures and eligibility criteria. Application Forms and Guides to Application can be downloaded here:

In respect of applications for financing film production, successful applicants will be required to execute financing contracts with the Government. Samples of the documents and contracts for financing film production are available here. Successful applicants of film financing will also be required to submit documents to prove the ownership of all the intellectual property rights of the film.

The FDF Application Forms and Guides to Application are also available at: